The bodies of the six Maoists who were killed in an exchange of fire in Theegalametta inside the Visakhapatnam agency on Wednesday reached the Narsipatnam region hospital for an autopsy late Thursday evening.
Ranadev alias Arjun (DCM), Sande Gangaiah alias Ashok (DCM), Santu Nachika (ACM), Lalitha, Anju and Paike were killed in a gun battle with the greyhounds, an anti-Naxal force.
OSD (Narsipatnam) Sateesh Kumar said an autopsy would be performed on Friday, after which the bodies would be handed over to the plaintiffs.
In response to reports that some Maoists had been injured, Mr. Kumar said that there had been no such communication from the Maoists.
“We have already asked them to surrender or approach us if there are such cases and we will have them treated,” he said.
The gunfight is a severe setback for the left-wing extremists, especially when the movement in the Agency and the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region is at its lowest point.
Big hit
The assassination of Ranadev, who is considered a fierce fighter and influential leader, is considered a major setback. The loss of Sande Gangaiah alias Dr. Ashok is called a major blow because he was the only doctor for the Maoists in the area. Allegedly trained by some RMPs, he handled medical emergencies for the Naxalites.
Gangaiah, who comes from Peddapalli in Telangana, is the younger brother of Rajamouli alias Prasad, the mastermind behind the demolition of the Alipiri Claymore mine, in which the former Prime Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was en route to Tirumala in 2003. was injured .
Rajamouli, a member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee, was killed in an encounter in Anantapur in 2007. Sande Rajaiah, a cousin of Rajamouli, was also killed in an encounter in 1996.
Meanwhile, Police Superintendent B. Krishna Rao said that Ranadev was from Malkangiri in Odisha, Santu Nachika from Koraput, Anju and Paike from Chhattisgarh, and Lalitha from GK Veedhi in Visakhapatnam District.
Sources said that Anju and Santu were personal bodyguards of Gajarla Ravi aka Uday, the secretary of the AOBSZC, which confirms his presence at the meeting place.
The monsoon season is widely considered to be the only time when both security forces and Maoists take the liberty of losing their vigilance, as it is difficult to traverse the site during this time.
But the encounter dispelled the myth and put the remaining Maoist power on the back foot.